Glossary of Cooking Terms

1. A hollow or open formed utensil used to give shape to the food substance place into the shaped Mold.

An unpleasant "nose" that presents itself when a bottle of wine is initially opened.

A group of traditional Mexican pastes that are made into sauces that range in flavor from delicately spicy to very rich and spicy.

A spicy, rich Mexican Mole sauce, also known as red Mole, which is a mixture of onion, garlic, chile peppers (commonly pasilla and ancho), ground nuts or sesame seeds, toasted bread, spices, sunflower or soybean oils, sugar, and occasionally a small amount of sweet chocolate.

A spicy Mexican condiment which is a mixture of pumpkin seeds (pepitas), ground nuts and sesame seeds, tomatillos, green chile peppers (typically poblano or serrano), spices, soybean oils, bread or crackers (wheat flour and corn starch), sugar, and other seasonings.

Any of a wide variety of foods that are produced by altering or engineering various procedures to achieve desired results.

Made in the manner of an artisan food, Molloni Pasta is produced in southeastern section of Italy in a region known as Apulia or Puglia in Italian.

One of the two marine groups into which shellfish are categorized. A second group is crustaceans.

Most notably known as "Mourvèdre". A grape varietal, used in the production of red wine, originating in the Catalonia region of Spain.

Most notably known as "Carignan". A grape varietal, used in the production of red wines, originating in the Cariñena District of Spain.

A type of chicory common in Tuscany, Italy where the Cappuccino monks began growing this vegetable green which ultimately became named for their efforts in raising it.

A strange-looking fish that is firm textured and has delicious tasting meat, similar to that of lobster or chicken.

One of the three categories of fatty acids that also includes saturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

An Italian cheese traditionally produced as a farmhouse or creamery cheese, which was orignially made from sheep's milk.

An Italian cheese, from the province of Verona, that is made with either whole or skimmed cow's milk.

Pronounced Mawn-teh-pool-chah-naw. A grape varietal, used in the production of deep ruby red wines, originating in the Abruzo and Marche regions of Italy.

A semi-soft white melting cheese that has a buttery texture and mild flavor. A versatile cheese used in hot dishes, on sandwiches and served as an appetizer.

Most notably known as "Sylvaner". A grape varietal used in the production of white wine.

A white goat cheese, with a creamy texture and mild tangy flavor, which is made into a log shape and covered with salted ash.

Grown in the Himalayan mountain region, the Monukka Raisins have a sligthtly larger size than the traditional dark raisin made from dried green grapes.

An Asian root vegetable that is a long, white, carrot shaped radish that is crisp and juicy with a milder taste than red radishes.

A fish found in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, having a large round profile with raw flesh that is multi-colored.

A small, round, cherry shaped olive from Italy that is purplish-black in color. It is most often used to produce a delicately flavored olive oil.

A French cheese that for years was a farmhouse cheese made in the Jura mountains, but now is made in local cheese factories.

A variety of large link blood sausage made in Spain that consists of ground pork lungs, pork heart and neck meat, seasoned pork blood, suet, breadcrumbs, oatmeal, and seasonings.

(Scientific Name: Morchella esculenta) A wild mushroom with a cone-shape cap that forms into a honeycombed and deeply indented outer skin.

Dark mahogany red cherries that provides juice for use in making brandies and liqueurs.

A cheese sauce made by using Béchamel sauce (white sauce made by cooking flour and butter and then adding milk) as the base with Swiss and Parmesan cheese added to thicken and flavor the sauce.

A medium size black olive with a shriveled flesh and soft meat that provides a bitter aftertaste.

An olive, typically small in size, cured in a salt and vinegar brine, which often has been marinated in a variety of herbs and spices such as bay leaf, cinnamon, clove, coriander, cumin, fennel, garlic, ginger, paprika, and hot pepper.

A round pork sausage from the cervelat family of sausages, which is fine textured and has a mild, somewhat bland flavor.

A cooking utensil that is shaped like a bowl and is used as a container to hold and manually crush or grind ingredients, by applying pressure with a pestle to smash the substance on the base of the bowl.

The finest Muscat white grape variety produced in Italy. Moscato varietal that are produced in other parts of the world tend to be low in alcohol and lightly sweet.

DOCG area that is located in the southeastern portion of the piedmont region near the town of Asti.

Tube pasta with diagonally cut ends, similar to penne but longer in length. Mostaccioli is approximately 2 inches long and is available with a smooth or ridged surface.

A small bean, very common in India that provides a good source of protein when cooked as a food dish.

5 mother sauces, 5 french mother sauces, five mother sauces, five french mother ...

A thick, gelatin substance containing bacteria that forms in vinegar most often when the vinegar warms to temperatures between 60ºF to 85ºF.

An appetizer dip or spread that is common for use with Lebanese foods. Made from a mixture of walnuts, red sweet peppers, breadcrumbs, olive oil, and pomegranate juice, this appetizer is often served with flat breads or some crumb breads such as pita bread that is warmed or toasted.

A technique, used to give sauces texture, flavor and a glossy appearance, where pieces of cold, unsalted butter are rapidly stirred into a sauce immediately before serving.

Pronounced Moor-ved-rr. A grape varietal, used in the production of red wine, originating in the Catalonia region of Spain.

A hot or cold food dish, most often associated with rich, whipped ingredients that provide an airy texture to the dish being prepared.

The term used to describe the foam that forms after a sparkling wine or champagne has been poured out of the bottle.

A kitchen utensil used to make a hot or cold mousse. It is a circular shaped stainless steel or aluminum ring that is used to hold the rich, whipped ingredients that provide an airy texture to the dish being prepared.

This term can apply to several different sauces or food dishes that all have a light, airy texture derived from using whipped cream or beaten egg whites added to the food dish immediately before it is served.

Descriptor of sparkling wine made by the charmat method. French term.

Descriptor of intense, complex wine that seems to cause a reaction of every sensory nerve of the mouth.

The sensation a wine causes in the mouth and on the tongue.

A rindless white creamy Italian cheese that is considered to be pulled-curd or spun-curd cheese (pasta filata), since the curds are placed into the whey when it is still very hot and then removed to be pulled as well as kneaded into the desired consistency.

A Greek olive that is available as a green (blonde) or black variety, depending on ripening.